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Installation Guide
51150099
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Assembling QC Casing . . . . . . 7
Installing QC Casing . . . . . . . 15
Introduction
Notes
Pull Test
Purpose: To test the performance of QC casing joints
under tensile loads.
Materials: QC casing section samples, loading frame, and
NIST-traceable equipment including a calibrated hydraulic
ram and pressure gauge.
Procedure: The casing section samples were assembled
and mounted in the loading frame. The samples were
loaded until the casing joints failed.
Results: Both 85 mm (3.34 inch) and 70 mm (2.75 inch)
casing sample joints withstood 635 kg (1400 lb) of tension.
Torque Test
Purpose: To test the performance of QC casing joints
under twisting forces that could cause misalignment of
casing grooves.
Materials: QC casing section samples, torque test frame
with lever arm, NIST Class F traceable weights.
Procedure: The casing section samples were assembled
and mounted in the torque test frame. The weight sus-
pended from the lever arm was increased until the casing
joints failed.
Results: Both 85 mm (3.34 inch) and 70 mm (2.75 inch)
casing sample joints withstood 33 N.m (25 ft.lb) of torque.
Bending Test
Purpose: To test the performance of QC casing joints
under bending moments.
Materials: QC casing sections, a test frame, and NIST
Class F traceable weights.
Procedure: Casing sections were assembled and then sup-
ported at opposite ends, with the unsupported joint in the
middle. Weights were suspended from the casing sections
on both sides of the joint to create a bending moment
across the joint. Weight was then increased until the joint
failed.
Results: Both 85 mm (3.34 inch) and 70 mm (2.75 inch)
casing joints withstood a bending moment of 186 N.m
(140 ft.lb).
Pressure Test
Purpose: To test the O-ring seals and the collapse strength
of the QC joint by subjecting them to compressive forces.
Materials: QC casing sections, a water-filled pressure
vessel, and an NIST-traceable pressure gauge.
Procedure: Casing sections were assembled and placed in
the pressure vessel, which was designed to apply pressure
to the casing wall and joint, but not to casing ends, which
were left open to atmosphere. Water pressure was
increased until the casing failed.
Results: The 85 mm (3.34 inch) casing joints withstood a
minimum of 12.4 bar (180 psi). The 70 mm (2.75 inch)
casing joints withstood 16.5 bar (240 psi).
Assembling QC Casing
Notes
Assembling QC Casing
QC Casing Sections
Each section of casing has a male end with an alignment
key, an O-ring, and a lock ring, and a female end with a
keyway. It takes about 30 pounds to snap two sections of
casing together.
Speed Hint
You may find this alternative
assembly procedure easier:
1. Push the sections together
until the end of the casing
touches the alignment key.
2. Turn the casing into align-
ment.
3. Snap the joint closed.
Reassembling QC Casing
1. Remove burrs and rough edges.
2. Glue and rivet the reassembled joint. Place rivets at 90
degree intervals around the joint, starting the first rivet
just above the keyway.
3. Seal the entire joint with tape.
Splicing QC Casing
Damaged QC casing can be repaired using a QC casing
splice kit. Splice kits include a male or female coupling,
self-tapping screws, and vinyl tape. You will need a hack-
saw, drill, and screwdriver.
1. Cut off damaged casing. Remove burrs.
2. Slide the splice coupling onto the end of the casing and
align it with the grooves in the casing.
3. Drill holes in the casing using the pre-drilled holes on
the splice coupling as a guide. Use drill size 5/32 or
4.0 mm on self-tapping screws.
4. Insert the self-tapping screws into the pre-drilled holes
and screw them into the casing.
5. Seal the joint with vinyl tape.
6. The casing section now has a good QC end and can be
used normally.
Installing QC Casing
Notes
Installation Concerns
How to Store Casing
Casing should be supported evenly so that it does not warp
or bend during storage. In the field, keep casing in the
shade, if possible, since prolonged exposure to the heat of
direct sunlight can cause deformation.
Casing Buoyancy
Casing will float in water-filled boreholes, so you must fill
it with water to install it down hole. However, when you
pump grout into the borehole, the water-filled casing
becomes buoyant again, because the grout is denser than
water.
To counter this buoyancy, you should apply a down force at
the bottom of the casing. You can lower a steel pipe to the
bottom of the casing or you can suspend a non-retrievable
weight from the bottom of the casing when you install it.
A suspended weight requires a deeper borehole and may
require use of a safety line.
Note that a down force applied at the top of the casing is
likely to distort the casing profile. For this reason, we rec-
ommend that you do not park a drill rig over the casing or
apply any other top-down method of counteracting
buoyancy.
Grouting
You will need a mixer, a grout pump, a pipe or hose for
delivering the grout, and optionally, a grout valve installed
in the bottom section of the casing. We recommend that
you do not mix the grout by hand. We also recommend that
you do not use a water pump to place the grout, since
pumping grout would damage it.
Properly mixed grout should be free of lumps. It has to be
thin enough to pump but thick enough to set in a reasonable
length of time. If the mixture is too watery, it will shrink
excessively, leaving the upper portion of the borehole
ungrouted. Also, avoid the use of admixtures and grouts
that cure at high temperature since these may damage the
casing.
Grouting continued
Ideally, the grout should be mixed to match the strength
and deformation characteristics of the ground around the
borehole. In practice, the main consideration is to use a
grout that allows the casing to move with the surrounding
soil.
If you have no other guidance, try one of the following
general purpose mixtures. The compressive strength of
these mixtures is about 500 lb/ft2 at a 28 day cure time.
The bentonite mixture swells to seal the borehole, but the
lime mixture does not.
Bentonite-Cement Grout
Materials Weight Percent
Portland Cement 94 lb (1 bag) 15%
Bentonite* 39 lb 6%
Water 75 gallons 79%
*Mix bentonite with water first, then with the cement
Lime-Cement Grout
Materials Weight Percent
Portland Cement 94 lb (1 bag) 15%
Hydrated LIme 150 lb 33%
Water 25 to 30 gallons 46%
Installation Methods
Pre-Grouting the Borehole
1. Clear the borehole of debris. Check the borehole depth.
Lower the grout pipe to the bottom of the borehole.
Pump in the grout and then retrieve the grout pipe.
2. Attach the bottom cap to the bottom section of casing.
3. Install casing to the specified depth. Keep casing filled
with water to counteract buoyancy.
4. Lower a steel bar or drill pipe to the bottom of the
casing to counteract buoyancy. Allow the grout to set.
Later, top off the borehole with grout and install a
protective cover.
Stage Grouting
In stage grouting, grout backfill is placed in stages, so that
the pressure of grout never exceeds the collapse strength of
the casing. In general, you should consider stage grouting
when the depth of the borehole exceeds 200 feet.
Grout can be delivered by hose or pipe. Hose must be
installed with the casing, but it is disposable and can be
left in place after grouting.
Stage grouting with hoses requires at least two hoses.
The first pipe should extend to the bottom of the bore-
hole. The next pipe should extend to bottom of the the
next stage, and so on.
Be sure to label or color-code each grout pipe to avoid
accidentally pumping grout or water down the wrong
pipe.
Make some provision to counter buoyancy of the casing.
This is best done by applying a down force at the bot-
tom of the casing.
Termination
Notes
Locking Caps
Monument Case
Notes